Improvement in watches



@uiten @tetes lsteitt @Ver DON il. MOZART, OF NEW YORK, N. Yf Letters Patent No. 72,528, datectDecember 2li, IGT.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATCHES.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONGERN:

Be it known that I, DON J. MOZART, of the city, county, and State `of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Watches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those sli'illed in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The present invention relates to improvements'in the escapemcnt of watch and other' time-Inovements, the principal object of which, and which is satisfactorily secured thereby, is to overcome and prevent any setting of the eseapement, or, in other words, any setting ofthe escape-wheel. This result is accomplished by alternately giving an impulse to the balance-wheel or stati' in the one direction, directly through such staff, and in the other direction by the passage of a tooth to the escape-wheel, over and by an eccentric-detent, which is properly connected therefor with the said balance-staff`v through a trip or other equivalent device or devices; the said staff uponeach and both of such impulses being independent of the train, except when the impulses are received.

My improved escapement embraced herein, combines in itself the principle of both the chronometer and ofthe lever escapements, so called, and for this 'reason I have denominated it the Ohronomet-er-Lever Escapement, and in trade intend to. so call it.

This c scapement consists of a balance-wheel stalf, cut out upon one side across its diameter, (wherein i`J embraced the principle of the chronometer-escapcment,) and of an eccentric-dctent,v(which, in principle, is similar to the leverescapcment,) so formed and connected, through a trip or other suitable device or devices, with the said statt, that, when the escape-wheel, by one of its teeth, acting upon the cut-out portion ofthe balance-staff', has given an impulse to such stati, in the one direction, and has escaped therefrom, another tooth ofthe escapewheel, in advance of the tooth which has just acted, is then passing into the said eccentric-detent, wherein, coming to a repose, byu-Ilich no recoil on the train is occasioned, it so remains until, by the reaction of the coiled spring, such detent is swung or turned sufficiently for the tooth to the escape-wl1eel therein to pass over a surface thereof suitably jewelled to prevent wear, and through such surface to again impcl the balance-wheel or staff, but, this time, in an opposite direction to that` given to it through the direct impulse upon the staff. This tooth ofthe escape-wheel now escaping therefrom, the tooth following then comes to a repose upon the: outside periphery of the detent, occasioning no recoil to the escape-whecl, until, by the reaction of the balance-spring, the cut-out portion of the balance-staff is brought into position for the tooth following the one which previously acted upon it to again similarly impel such statt, as well also as to swing the detent suticiently for the tooth, at a. repose upon its periphery, to cnterthc same, wherein, coming to arepose, and acting, as before, the balance-wheel is impellcd in the opposite direction, and so on, as before.

Having thus, in general terms, stated the principles ofthe improved .escapeme'nt embraced herein, I will now proceed'to describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying plate of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the movement to a watch provided with my improved escapcinent.

Figure 2, plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the escapement.

Figure 3, n. section, tak-en in the plane ofthe line n: fr, tig. 2, and

Figures 4 and 5, detail views, to be hereinafter referred to, which views are taken in the planes of the lines 3,13/ and z e, respectively, of each other.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A, in the drawings, `represents the front plate to the frame carrying the ivatclrmovement. 'llo this plate A, upon its rear side, are iixed two bridges, B and C, the one, B, carrying the bnlancewheel D, and the other, C, the main-spring barrel E, and train of gearing, l?, between such barrel E, and the escape-wheel G, and the handel-bor or'spindle Il. I, the balance-spring, connected and arranged with regard to the balance-wheel as in ordinary watch-movements. J, the steif te the balance-wheel D. This staff, upon one side, and across its width, in a line with its diameter, is'cut out, as shown at K in the drawings, and upon the edge, L, of such cutout portion, the teeth f, of the eseapenvheel G, act in regular order and. succession, as will be hereinafter described. M, a detent, hung by its spindle, N, to the plate A, between'it and the outer end of the bridge C, in a position in advance of the staff to the balance-wheel. This detent is cut out at O, upon one side, across its width, so as to'form two sides, P and Q, that, in direction, are such as te form an obtuse angle, R, with each ther, with one of such sides Q, which is the one the farther removed from the balance-wheel statI when the indent is at rest, jewelled or otherwise suitably protected against wear by friction. The stati' or spindle N to i the detent M is eut out at S across its width, and in line with its diameter, and is inserted within the detenteccentric to the centre of the sume, and in such a position that the side surface T, to its cut-out portion, will coincide with the side P'oi the cut-out portion to the detent, but, with a bearing or surface, b, between it und the inner end of the other side, Q, to the said detent, that, indirection, is on a circle' from the centre to the dotant-spindle. The detent, upon its upper end, by its collar or sleeve, U,`surrounds the staff or spindle thereto, and over such-sleeve is placed and secured one end of a trip-lever, V, that, by its other and outer end, through its' notch, c, is engaged with the trip-pin d, secured in the projecting arm Wg upon one side of a collet, X, secured to the balance-stati' JQ The trip-lever V, atits outer end, and upon each side from its notch, c, is provided with a similar side extension-piece or arm, Y, that, upon their outer edges e are vcurved or circularuinrshape, tho radius of which curve is equal to or a little great'er than that of the balance-stati at the point around which such arms play in the operation of the escapement to be'hereinai'ter described. The collet X is partially cut away upon one side,V under its projecting arm, to allow the trip-lever to'properly operate.

The operation of the parts constructed and arranged as above described is as follows: By the,revolution ofthe escapewheel its teeth, in regular order andsuccession, abut against the edge to the cut-out balance-staff, and, in that manner, give a motion or impulse to the balance-wheel, in the direction represented by a red arrow in the drawings, fig. 2, when such tooth, escaping the balance-wheel, is then left free and independentof the train. But, as one tooth to the escape-wheel is thus acting upon the balance-stati', and is escaping therefrom, another'tooth to such wheel, but in an advance position to the one acting on the staff, as stated, is entering the indent at its side, P, wherein, coming to a repose upon its interior circular bearing or surface, it there remains until, by the reaction of the balance-spring, acting through the trip-lever, the detent is turned'suiiciently to allow the tooth within it to pass over, -and by its jewelled surface, Q, whcreon acting, the balance-staff is thereby impelled in the opposite direction, or that indicated by the black arrow in the drawings, iig-2, when, such tooth escaping from the detent, the next tooth thereto, of the escape-wheel, comes to a repose upon l the circular periphery ofthe detent. On this periphery the said tooth reposes until,lby the reaction of the balance-spring, the balance-stai? is brought into position for the tooth ofthe escape-wheel next to or following its tooth hepeinabove described or referred to as having acted upon the balance-stati', to similarly act thereen,and thus to again impel the balance-wheel forward in the same direction as before, or as show n by a red arrow, and to again escape therefrom, at which time the tooth, referred to as at a reposeupon the outside of the detent, thenA enters it, coming to a repose therein, as before described; the detent having been previously turned. or swung suiciently for such tooth to so enter, by the movement of the balance-wheel, acting through the lever-trip. Within the l detent, the tooth, just above referred to as having entered the same, comes to a repose, and passes out therefrom, as before described, bringing the next tooth to a repo'seupon the outside ofthe detent, whereon reposing until, by the continued action of the escapemcnt, another tooth acts upon the balance-staff, it also enters the detent, and so on, both with respect to the detent and the balance-stad', as long as the main-spring continues to act upon the escape-wheel through the movement-train. i i l By an escapement of the `construction and arrangement of partsabove described, as the repose for the escape-wheel is always on a circle, in the one instance upon the periphery ofthe detent, and in the other upon a circle, the centre of which is at the centre of the detent-spindle, it is plainly manifest that there no vrecoil is produced upon the escape-wheel, and that, iu consequence thereof, there can be no setting of the escapement, or, in other words, of the escape-wheel-advantages and results ofthe utmost importance, as all conversant with watch and other time-movements are well aware.

In the above explanation of the construction and-arrangement of the several parts to my improved escapement, I have described the trip-lever as provided with side projecting arms, cach having its outer edge made of a Icurved circular shape. The object of giving this form to-'the lever-trip is to cause the trip to.be self-banking,

as it is operated through the trip-pin of the balance-staff, and, as is apparent, it is accomplished,'for the moment the trip-pin leaves its notch, whether the balance is moving in either one or the other direction, as it then, by either one or the other of its curved arms, as the case may be, embraces the balance-staff, its further swings, either to the right or left, have ceased, and it must, of necessity, remain stationary until the trip-pin again moves it. By this construction ofthe lever-trip the ordinary banking-pins to the movement are dispensed with.

Among the many advantages secured by my improved escapement, embraced herein, in addition to that just above referred to as being secured by the self-banking lever-trip, may be vhere mentioned as the most important, and which, by a perusal of `the description above contained, will be apparent to all conversant with watch-movements, irst, that in the construction of the watch-movement, one wheel, one pinion, three jewels, at least, as well as many screws, are dispensed with, thus greatly reducing the expense of manufacture, as well in material asin labor; second, that with two-thirds, at least, less power than is now required with the ordinary esca-pement the movement may bc'run; and, third, that thebridgc or frame-construction of'the movement is greatly reduced in'amount.

I claim as new, and desire `to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. An escapemcnt, for watch er other time or other similar movements, in which are combined a cut-cut staff'and a cutout eccentric-detennor their respective equivalents, connected together through a trip-'lever or other suitable'device or devices, when both are constructed and arranged together for operation by the cscapel wheel, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. A cut-out stati', a cut-out eccentric-detont, and a trip-lever, having one or more side arms, with its working faces curved or circular inshapc, or any equivalent therefor, respectively, in ccmbination with' the escape-wheel of a watch or other time or other lsimilar movement, substantially as described, for the purpose sct forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 2dday of July, 1867.

DON J. MOZART.

Witnesses:

WM. F. McNAMAnA, ALBERT W. Bnow'N. 

